E3 Roundup: SonyWritten By SuzzieSue
After covering some exciting and unexpected developments from the Microsoft camp we turn our attention over to Sony and the PlayStation brand. Sony’s conference was given in front of a truly massive 40 by 80 foot screen with Sony president Jack Tretton pronouncing that such visuals as displayed could only be possible on the PlayStation 3. After the usual sales figures and a nod to the continued success of the now decade-old PlayStation 2, some much newer hardware was announced.
PSP Go confirmed
There had been rumours of the PSP Go floating around the internet for over a week but now the console has finally been officially announced by Sony. The console is basically a new model for the PSP – it plays all of the same games as the original and it’s not a new system in itself. However, there are some quite massive changes to the design of the Go that makes it a larger step for Sony than the recently released PSP-3000 and older 2000 or ‘slim’ models.
Firstly, there’s no UMD drive – all games will be download through Sony’s PlayStation store. Secondly the system will come with a massive 16GB of internal memory. The whole system will be about half the size and nearly half the weight of the original PSP model.
Of course, most people already knew this already thank to leaks, but what was newly announced was the ‘Media Go’ application that replaces media manager and another app that do some sort of magic with your music playlists, although neither sounded particularly overwhelming.
Sony was careful to ensure gamers that the PSP Go is not a replacement for the PSP-3000, which many PlayStation fans have only purchased recently. The two systems will continue to be served with the same level of games and support, much like the Nintendo DS and DSi.
The price point is currently $250 with no price drop on the PSP-3000 which may makes the Go a rather expensive option for some considering that it’s essentially an upgrade in size and form rather than a brand new handheld.
Playstation Motion Control
Motion Control really seems to be the order of the week at E3, with Microsoft first announcing project Natal and now Sony bringing their new idea to the table. It seems like both companies are clamouring to replicate some of the massive success Nintendo has had with the control system.
Sony’s device isn’t full body like Microsoft’s but a controller similar to the Wii-mote. It looks a little like a wand from the cover of a generic fantasy book, with a blub on the top that can change colour. Sony mentioned the device is only a prototype and could change somewhat in development, but the company provided a demonstration that impressed many at the show.
The controller allows the Eye-Toy to overlay visual objects in your hand which you can then manipulate, anything from swords and guns to the obligatory tennis rackets and golf clubs. The level of precision displayed was exciting and the practical use was displayed in a tech demo of a strategy game. As with Microsoft’s motion sensing it’s really the games that will make or break the system.
Sony is touting a spring 2010 release date for the product.
God of War 3
Along with their hardware announcements, Sony had all of their big names out in force at E3, and what Sony conference wouldn’t be complete without God of War 3. Gamers were treated to real gameplay footage demoed live at the convention. The game will mark the last chapter in the trilogy which has been a huge success for Sony.
The demo included some nice touches including a fight with a harpy and some sort of massive lava monster with Kratos doing his usual charging around. All of the same mechanics for the first few games seem to have been kept on for the third, with a predictable mix of stylish fighting, combo linking and – of course – real time button sequences.
Tretton quipped that God of War wasn’t “just exclusive to the PS3, it’s only possible on the PS3”. Gamers will be experiencing the game for themselves when it’s released in March next year.
Assassins Creed 2
Due to hit the shelves on November 17th – the very same date as Left 4 Dead 2 – Assassin’s Creed 2 is shaping up to be a bigger and hopefully better game than the original. Although the trailer was shown during the Sony show, the game is not a PlayStation exclusive and is being developed for Sony, Microsoft and Windows markets.
The game is sticking with the sandbox style of the original but will hopefully fix some of the major criticisms of the original game, such as the repetitive nature of the missions. The good news on that point is that more content seems to be high on the priority list for the game with over 30 weapons, 17 mission types and several gameplay enhancements in the works.
Not much is known about the plot yet, but players take the role of a nobleman assassin called Ezio Auditore di Firenze whose family has been killed, so it’s going to be somewhat of a revenge story. The game is set 295 years after the first game in 1486 and will be set in around Venice, Rome and the Tuscan countryside.
PSP Line-up Announced
There hasn’t been a lot of information given out about the portable version of Gran Turismo yet. However, what’s been released has sounded very promising for racing fans. The game will include 800 cars, 35 tracks and 60 track layouts. There will also be an added emphasis on trading cars and playing with friends over Wi-Fi, which Sony have hinted will be a requirement in order to realistically collect all of the 800 cars the game has to offer. With racing games not being easy to make on the DS and the PSP only really seeing a few decent games in the genre, it will be nice to the series make a proper appearance.
The game will be released with the launch of the PSP Go in October this year. Other PSP announcements at E3 include Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and new Resident Evil Game. Various other big names were mentioned such as Soul Calibur, Jak and Dexter and Little Big Planet. Overall, the PSP looks like it’s finally starting to get some much needed attention from the company.
We’ll be bringing you a summary of the biggest news from the Nintendo show this Friday.
The News Release was written by: SuzzieSue who produces professional